The homelessness we see is just the tip of the iceberg
On any given night, more than 122,000 Australians have no safe, secure place to call home. The 2021 Census revealed that just 6% of people experiencing homelessness were sleeping rough, or on the streets.
Most were couch surfing, sleeping in their car, or moving between temporary accommodation – with no certainty of safety or stability from one night to the next.
The cycle is hard to break
Once someone experiences homelessness, achieving the security and stability needed to rebuild their life becomes increasingly difficult. Exiting the cycle requires financial, social and systemic support.
An estimated 1 in 10 Australians live so close to housing insecurity that a small rent rise, medical bill or relationship breakdown could result in losing their home. It’s almost always driven by circumstance, not by choice.
Domestic and family violence is currently the leading cause of homelessness in Australia
Survivors of domestic and family violence often must make the impossible choice between being safe and having a roof over their head.
Addressing homelessness for victims of domestic and family violence can mean that they don’t have to make this impossible choice – that leaving violence doesn’t have to mean losing everything.
Hear the stories of four individuals who have experienced homelessness in Australia. Audio created in collaboration with Challenge the Label.
1 Estimating Homelessness: Census 2021, ABS
2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census 2021
3 Impact Economics and Policy 2024, Homelessness Australia
4 Source:Australian Institute of Health and Welfare